Emirates to unveil desert resort in Australia soon

Emirates Group, the Dubai-based airline and ground handling operator, will announce a major resort project in Australia in June, said Tim Clark, president of Emirates airline.

"Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, our group chairman, will make a major announcement regarding the resort project during the third week of June, when we will unveil the details of the project to the Australian media," he told Gulf News, on the sidelines of the two-day annual general meeting of the International Air Tran-sport Association in Tokyo.

Emirates, which manages Al Maha Desert Resort in Dubai, had been planning to develop a desert resort in Australia.

The airline had been looking for a suitable place to develop the resort. It aims to replicate the Al Maha Desert Resort.

While the project cost is not known, initial estima-tes exceed $100 million (Dh368 million).

This would be Emirates's single largest capital investment, excluding aircraft purchase bills, in a foreign land, and strengthen its hotel portfolio.

Shaikh Ahmad recently announced the development of a Dh800 million project, Emirates Hotel, on Shaikh Zayed Road in Dubai. The airline also owns Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Hotel in Fujairah.

"Our operations in Australia have been among the most successful so far. This is the second most profitable route across our network," Clark said.

Emirates operates six daily flights between Dubai and Australia, most of which are extended to New Zealand.

The airline has successfully taken passengers away from a number of international carriers, including Australian national carrier Qantas, on Europe-Australia routes.

With a strong European network, Emirates provides a convenient link for businessmen from Australia and New Zealand to Europe through its hub in Dubai. Similarly, European travellers find the Emirates service towards Australia convenient.

Emirates has also been looking for a suitable plot of land to develop another resort in Sri Lanka.

Clark said, "We have been looking for a resort project in Sri Lanka as well. However, as we were getting closer to identify the place, the tsunami came and we had to delay the project. But we are on track and will make the move when the time is right."